Participant Onboarding & Suspension
The below sets out a high-level summary of eligibility criteria for service participation and a summary of circumstances in which a Participant may be suspended from the service. In addition to the eligibility criteria summarized below, Participants are required to meet all the requirements (including technical requirements) found in the service’s governing documents. If your organization fits within the eligibility criteria below and would like to discuss participation in Interac’s services, please contact participation@interac.ca.
Interac Debit and Interac Flash
The following entities are eligible to become Participants on the InteracDebit and InteracFlash services:
Issuers: The following financial institutions are eligible to participate as an Issuer:
- a bank;
- a Central Cooperative Credit Society, a Cooperative Credit Association or a local cooperative credit society;
- a foreign bank operating at least one full-service branch in Canada;
- a foreign life insurance company;
- a trustee of a qualified trust; or
- a designated foreign financial institution.
Acquirers: Entities that operate card-accepting devices (contact and/or contactless) at the point-of-sale, which capture and transmit relevant data, needed to undertake a transaction to the Issuer.
Suspension:
Issuers and/or Acquirers can be immediately suspended where Interac determines that actions or omissions have resulted, or will result, in a material adverse effect upon the security or integrity of Interac Debit or Interac Flash or a material financial loss to one or more Participants or Interac.
A Participant may be suspended at a later date if Interac determines that the Participant is not in good standing and that immediate suspension is not required.
Interac Mobile Debit:
To be eligible to become a Participant in InteracMobile Debit service, participation in InteracDebit as either an Issuer and/or Acquirer is required.
Suspension:
Participants can be immediately suspended if they no longer meet the criteria for participation criteria or have committed a material breach of the governing documents, and Interac determines that this will likely have a detrimental effect on the InteracMobile Debit service.
A Participant may be suspended at a later date if Interac determines that the Participant is not in good standing and that immediate suspension is not required. Interac may also temporarily suspend Participants who are unable to properly participate in the network due to technical problems.
Interac Token Service Provider (TSP):
To be eligible to become a Participant in Interac TSP, participation in InteracMobile Debit as an Issuer is required.
Suspension:
Participants can be immediately suspended if they fail to perform or observe any material obligation, are in financial default, or fail to make payment of certain fees when due. Interac may suspend a Participant if
- the technology platform provider is suspending or discontinuing Interac’s access to specific functionality of the platform or the platform as a whole,
- the Participant has been suspended by the technology platform provider,
- the Participant is suspended from Interac Mobile Debit,
- they cease to participate in Interac Mobile Debit,
- a security breach occurs by the Participant or due to an action on the part of the Participant, or
- its affiliates or representatives place Interac’s network or systems or other Participants at risk.
Interac e-Transfer – Participation and Suspension:
The below sets out a high-level summary of eligibility criteria for participation in Interac e-Transfer (the “Service”) and a summary of circumstances in which a Participant may be suspended from the Service. In addition to the eligibility criteria summarized below, Participants are required to meet all the requirements (including technical requirements) found in the Service’s governing documents. If your organization fits within the eligibility criteria below and would like to discuss participation in Interac’s services, please contact participation@interac.ca.
The following financial institutions are eligible to become Participants on the Interace-Transfer service:
- providing regulated financial services in Canada as:
- a bank; or
- both a FINTRAC-registered Money Service Business and investment dealer regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization;
- a Central Cooperative Credit Society, a Cooperative Credit Association or a local cooperative credit society;
- a foreign bank operating at least one full-service branch in Canada;
- a foreign life insurance company; or
- a trustee of a qualified trust.
Suspension:
Participants may be suspended from the Service where: the Participant no longer meets the Service’s participation criteria, the Participant has committed a material breach of its obligations, the Participant is in financial default, or the Participant is experiencing technical problems which prevent the Participant from properly participating in the Service.